Israeli Centurion - Sho’t Kal C (Gimel) - IDF 1980s - Build

[HERMAN BIX]

The interior of this thing has a 'pole' and lots of clear-soled high heal shoes going by the red lighting !!

Most salacious work Sir.

[lmcq11]

The interior of this thing has a 'pole' and lots of clear-soled high heal shoes going by the red lighting

Ok... I better not put one of these IDF babes on the pole then. Can't believe the two SOL MODEL IDF women are the only IDF tank crew available in 1/16. My plan is to salvage the IDF helmet and give it to a battle hardened guy.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

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Now, to keep Mr Herman under control, let's give this Centurion its side skirts.

The Centurion side skirts are in 3 parts. For a realistic Sho't Kal, they should not be simply glued to the hull. I decided to install them as they are on the real thing, a 8 hour modelling task.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

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1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

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First task is to rework the flat rear mud guard and beef it up with plasticard to give it its proper shape.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

Ludwigs provides the skirts in one piece. They have the right shape but sadly full of positioning holes that need to be filled and polished.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

The skirts are cut in three parts.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

Ludwigs provides the inside struts that helps keeping the skirts strait.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

The struts are installed strait in their positioning holes on the hull. The locations seems good.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

Notice the 8 small 1mm thick plates attached to the fenders side, this is where the skirts screws will go into, and also the position of the 3 struts on each sides. This is the last time you see the Sho't kal without its skirts.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

All the holes are plugged and the skirts are ready for installation.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

[lmcq11]

Here is the Sho't kal Centurion with its side skirts.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

I used M1.4 brass screws and 1.5 metal roundels to fix the skirts on the hull. Smaller screws would become weak and might break after removing the skirts a few times. The skirts are therefore removable, a must for this tank. I ran out of roundels and need to order more. Notice how the holes on the skirts allow for vertical adjustments, very useful and similar ro the real thing. The skirts are usually not that strait on the real tank also, so putting them a bit unaligned is realistic.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

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Notice the 1mm space between the skirt and fender.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

A realistic small space should be left between each skirts sections. This is important for the look.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

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Top view.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

Bottom view.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

Regards, Louis

[c.rainford73]

Beautiful museum quality piece, almost a shame to paint it! The skirts really make it look incredible

[HERMAN BIX]

I agree................everything looks better in a skirt even a tank !!
Have to say its a bit puzzling why the figure makers dont collaborate closer with the tank kit manufacturers to align the crew options with the crop of tank kits.
Those SOL IDF crew are great,but very limiting for a broader application.
Its going to be great to see what you do with these Mr cq11.

[PainlessWolf]

Good morning,
Words are superfluous on this excellent Build! Lighting is excellent as always. As for figures, I know that Tom Hugill has built a couple of Israeli Shermans and managed to dig up appropriate crew for them. A Commander he did stuck in my memory. Might ping him to see where he got those.
regards,
Painless

[Ad Lav]

Prefer a Centurion with skirts, glad they went on.
Keep up the good work.

[lmcq11]

Prefer a Centurion with skirts, glad they went on.

Yeah, it somehow makes it look more British.

Taking a break from the tank itself to plan the crew and the spotter.

From the pictures i have seen, the tank crew helmets changed in the early 80s from the American type to a new helmet developed by the Israelis. Here is a crew with American helmets.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

As seen in the pictures below, there was a transition period where both helmets can be seen on the same tank crew. Many crewmen wear Israeli flak jackets.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

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I have the two helmets available. The 1/18 Ultimate Soldier American helmet and the 1/16 Israeli from Sol Models, coming with the female crew. I was thinking about removing the female head and reuse the helmet on a man's head. I honestly prefer the shape of the American helmet. But I was concerned about the advertised 1/18 scale, being maybe a bit too small, but when I compared it side by side with the other, I realised the American helmet is actually bigger, so American it is. The cute babe will keep her head, for now. Its the men that will lose the top of theirs for a good fit.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

Some of the figure material assembled for the crew and infantry build up.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

Most of the commander is from the Verlinden Golani brigade captain. Bizarre figure, a bearded man..., he holds a flak jacket on one hand, signaling on the other hand, AK on the side. A very similar figure is available from Sol models. Not sure what is the deal about this bearded soldier. He must be someone famous.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

The infantryman torso with webbing need to be replaced by a simple uniform. But I really want to use that flak jacket, but its dead flat with a hand molded on the collar... there is always a solution.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

After a couple of minutes of planning, I decided to use the flat jacket. Not only will I use it, i will actually make the commander wear it.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

The Verlinden 2019 reissues are now using a new kind of resin, softer and easier to cut. After a couple of minutes in the micro wave, I was able to easily slice it in two flat halves.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

The jacket parts are thinned from the inside with a dremel. I used the Sol Model torso of the Golani soldier for the commanderr. It had to be thinned. All features are removed so that a clean torso surface can accept the flak jacket.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

After a couple of more minutes in the micro wave, the two halves are applied and pressed against the torso of the commander, then glued. Plasticard and putty will be used to bridge the two halves for a seamless joint on a commander that is now wearing a flak jacket.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

[lmcq11]

The Sol Model head is used for the commander, for now. I started to fix the joints, need sanding and putty. The Ultimate Soldier helmet will be improved.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

AC Models has an interesting Israeli figure from the 60s that can be modernized and parts reused for other purposes, such as the UZI submachine gun which will be extracted from the soldier's hand and stored as tank crew personal weapon on top of the tank.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

The loader is made of the AC Model Torso, with a Reedees miniature head, and Ultimate soldier bottom and helmet. Lots of work still required but this one looks specially good.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

The spotter infantry rider is the AC Model head and helmet and bottom, with Verlinden Golani torso with the webbing of the time. The pockets on the legs will likely be removed, not sure yet. This figure is for static display only and will be removable. No one with his right mind would actually sit on a ERA block so I still need to find a better location for him if I decide to keep it associated to this model.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

It has good facial and helmet details.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

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He will be armed with a CAR-15 carbine. The Israeli army of the 80s did not seem to have a standard weapon. Men can be seen carrying Galil, CAR-15 and AK rifles. The Galil being very heavy, many men preferred the CAR-15. I will need to retrograde this CAR-15A2 to an earlier version.

1/16 RC Centurion tank IDF Sho't Kal Gimel Build

That's it for now.

Regards, Louis

[HERMAN BIX]

Whenever I check in on this build I have to peep through a vision slit from a secure room as there is so much going on I'm concerned I will suffer a violent cerebral explosion & make a mess
"whats cooking Darling ??..................nothin Hun, just preconditioning a flack jacket" (as one does)

Innovative and educational Sir, I would ask whats next but Im almost afraid to !